Bedtime Stories
by Bursting-Bubbles
Summary: Cloud had always told his son, Roxas, bedtime stories. Roxas just never expected it to end so sadly. Dark. Mild-crossover.


Before my dad, Cloud Strife, died, he told me stories. Now, keep in mind that these aren't the type of stories that are usually told to children before they go to bed. No, these stories tantalized by little brain by being DIFFERENT. They were full of death, war, but most of all love. He forbid me from telling my mom that he was telling me these stories, and I'd just nod. He smile and pat my hair. He LOVED to tell me them anyway.

All the love in my dad's voice, I came to realize as he dished out more and more of his past in the form of stories, wasn't for me. It was for the hero that I'll tell you more about later in THIS story.

He'd sit on the edge of my bed and clear his throat making me sit up with excitement. His eyes would lock on the window, or the wall, depending on which side of the bed he was sitting on. Over an amount of time, they'd glaze over slightly. When I was little, I just thought that he was getting really into the stories.

"We were friends from the start, the hero and I. I took my SOLIDER helmet off once on a snowy journey through some mountains and the way one of his eyebrows raised in curiosity I just knew that we'd be friends."

I tilted my head and sat back on my hands. "But Dad, I already know that part. That's how you started a long time ago."

For the first time he looked at me during these nights. He just smiled and nodded. "I know. But if I'm going to tell you the WHOLE story, with out any of the parts missing, then I have to start from the beginning."

I nodded quickly and shut up, waiting for him to continue.

"We talked for a long time after that. The hero was the only friend that I made. When I trained, I was mostly alone. When I sat in the mess hall most of the other cadets would steer clear of me. Usually one or two tables around me were empty so I ended up isolating myself. Then the he came along and sat with me. He made me laugh, one time so hard I nearly cried as he kept continuing the joke. I had to beg him to stop." A ghost of a smile crosses my dad's face as he runs his fingers over my blankets. I hadn't seen him smile in a long time.

"Then he started to train with me. I started to get better and better, soon surpassing my other comrades. People started to get jealous. I found jell-o, toothpaste, pasta sauce and other weird crap on my bunk at night. Apparently people thought we were dating and they didn't like that. When someone saw us kiss for the first time, they took it even farther. Sometimes they'd take my stuff, or they'd destroy my clothes, once they even took my bunk." My dad shrugs. "We didn't care though. We were young, I was in love. we told each other 'I love you' a few times and even celebrated a Christmas together once."

My dad continues. "Then I started to draw attention from the wrong places. After a while of good behavior and excellent reviews, I was selected for a Mako treatment. He was enraged. He broke me out and we ran. Well he ran, I just kind of limped. I was kind of dead weight. I couldn't really do anything, I was really sick because I had more exposure then normal. Shinra came after us, trying to get back their First Class SOLIDER and their cadet. We got out to the canyons and he left me behind, I was too sick to fight by myself. He went to face the Shinra troops by himself and-" Dad's voice cracks.

"What happened?" I ask in a small voice, my knees drawn to my chest and eyes fixed on my father. I finally understand my dad is bearing his scars to me.

"Zack died."

It's silent in my room. He get up and shakes his head a bit, the spikes swaying slightly. He smiles at me. "I'm going to go out for a little while. I love you." Then he ruffles my hair. He turns away and shuts off the light.

Then that night, he tried to kill himself. He nearly succeeded. He had taken a razor and slit his wrists. According to the hospital he'd been alone for about twenty minutes before Mom found him. According to his note, although, he had been alone in his head for a much longer time.

Then that night, he ripped his I.V. out of his arm and reopened his wounds. He died before anyone could save him.

I really wish Zack could have been there for him.

Roxas looked up from his English homework. He looked around the shell shocked classroom. His teacher stared at him, the students' jaws were on the floor with shock.

"That's my family history." Roxas nodded blankly before slowly making his way back to his seat. Olette's shoulders shook with silent sobs. Hayner stared at his shoes. Axel's fists clenched and a muscle in his jaw tightened. He dearly wanted to confront the small blond. Seifer mentally kicked himself over and over to making fun of Roxas and his twisted family.

Cloud's head hug low as he watched his son. Zack's hand touched Cloud's shoulder. Cloud smiled back at his lover.

Then Cloud walked forward and placed his hand on Roxas' head. Then, just like the end of all those nights together, Cloud ruffled his son's hair.


End file.
